Waiting
by blackxxcat013
Summary: Sequel to Graduation; After waiting for Echizen for 10 years, Fuji is excited for the younger man's return. But when things don't go according to plan, the brown-haired man starts to question himself. Warning: boy x boy!
1. Prologue

Prologue

Fans cheered. The stadium was in an uproar.

He watched in amusement as the fans' object of affection slowly walked to the bench, ignoring their cheers.

The person being cheered for sat down slowly, taking off his white cap and wiping his sweat.

He smiled lovingly as this person did so...

"Soon..."


	2. Chapter One: The Wait

**A/N1: From here onwards (meaning also in my other fics...) **_**'italics'**_** are their thoughts.**

Chapter One: The Wait

The U.S Open just ended for the year. The audience cheered and clapped loudly, congratulating the two tennis players for a job well done.

Echizen Ryoma, now age 22 years old, was just crowned the champion. He sowly sat on the bench, took of his signature white cap and wiped off his sweat.

Fans were starting to crowd at the exit, all of them calling his name. He groaned to himself. '_Now... to find another exit.'_

He gathered his stuff and stood up to leave only to have a cheery blonde reporter stop him.

Echizen watched as she introduced him to the world with so much enthusiasm that it made him cringe. He hated reporters, especially ones like these. They were too... happy for his liking. He just wanted them to leave him alone.

"What did you think of today's match?" the reporter suddenly turned to him.

He let out a sigh. '_Here we go...'_ he thought. "It was okay. Not that exciting."

"But aren't you happy that you won another title?"

"It didn't doesn't really matter," he shrugged. "I just wanted to play."

The reporter paused, turning to the cameraman and back at the raven-haired man. "I see. Oh but you did very well in today's match! Even the experts are saying so. Could it be that this match is dedicated to a special someone?" her smile somewhat became more natural.

"Is there someone special waitingfor you back in Japan?" her eyes twinkled in excitement.

He couldn't help but smirk at the question. This was the first time someone actually asked him a question like this and , frankly, he was quite curious about what kind of person this reported was imagining waiting for him.

"Hmmm... maybe there is and maybe there isn't," his smirk only grew wider.

"Aww... that's no fun," the reporter stepped closer to him. "Come on. Between you and me, who is it?"

He adjusted his tennis bag over his shoulder and shrugged before walking away, leaving the reporter and her crew behind.

He looked at his watch and smiled. '_I can finally see you soon...'_

=== XD ===

The sound of a tennis racquet against a tennis ball echoed through his apartment.

He smiled while looking through pictures of his past, occassionally glancing at the t.v and catching the determined gaze of a raven-haired man wearing a white cap. A look at the clock and he started counting down seconds to the usual 'disturbance'.

There was a loud knock on the door before it swung open, revealing his red-headed friend.

"Ah... just in time," he whispered to himself, flipping a page of his photo album.

"Fuji-nyaaaa! How are you doing?" Eiji greeted from the front hall while bending over to take off his shoes. He hurried to where Fuji was sitting and placed the bag he was carrying on the floor before peaking at whatever the other was doing.

"Are those pictures from high school?" the brunette nodded at him. "Wah! How nostalgic!"

Fuji chuckled at him before standing and going to the open kitchen, adjacent the dining room. He no longer lived with his family. Instead, he had his own home that was enough for him and maybe for one other person.

"Do you want anything Eiji?"

The other shook his head. "Just water please!" he answered with a grin.

The blow of a whistle rang through the room causing the red head to raise his head and look around him.

Fuji chuckled at his best friend. He couldn't really blame him though. Eiji only came by to visit at least twice a week.

"Ryoma Echizen wins! 6 games to 1!" the referee called out, Fuji mouthing the exact same words.

Eiji looked at the tv and furrowed his brows. "This again? Weren't you watching this the last time I came by?" Fuji only shrugged at him, innocent smile in place. "And wasn't this aired... two weeks ago?"

He chuckled as he settled Eiji's cup of water together with his on the dining table.

"O'chibi grew a lot though..."

"He did."

"I don't think I can call him O'chibi anymore," Eiji turned around and pickued his glass of water, a pout set on his lips.

"Well, he's certainly not small anymore," Fuji commented as he sat down on a dining chair.

"He looks so mature now. I wonder how he's doing," the red-head sighed, putting his elbow on the table and placed his chin on it.

"I though he kept in touch with you guys," Fuji said, a little bit surprised. Though Echizen didn't seem like it, he was not one to break a promise.

"He did! But all of a sudden, since the week before that game, he disappeared!" Eiji exclaimed, pointing at the tv screen that was now showing a blonde reporter walking towards their close friend.

"How come I've never seen this part of the video?" he tilted his head to the side and watched as the reporter turned to interview the young man.

"That's because you always leave early," Fuji feigned a pout.

The younger one looked at his best friend and raised an eyebrow at him. "How about his other matches then? Do you have videos of them too?"

Like a little child who just got candy, Fuji just smiled widely and nodded.

"Every single one?"

"Every single one that as aired ever since he left. And, I've managed to get some of the ones that weren't. Inui's very useful sometimes."

Eiji's eyes widened as he took in the information. "You're starting to sound like him too... Don't start creating weird flavoured juices now or else... or else I'll hate you!"

Fuji laughed at his friend. "I won't start doing that," Eiji sighed in relief. "It seems fun though," he laughed again when he saw Eiji flinch out of the corner of his eyes.

"Why all the videos though? Is it for the data?"

Placing his right arm on the table with his left arm upright and settling his chin on his left hand, the brown-haired man started tapping the table. "Echizen is special."

Eiji made no commend to the statement. He merely looked at his friend and and just stared, opening his mouth to speak but the reporter's voice interrupted him.

"Is there someone special waiting for you back in Japan?"

The red-head burst out laughing at the question, holding his stomach as he did so. "O'chibi has someone special? No way! That's impossible! Ri-" He stopped himself from continuing when he saw the smirk on Fuji's face that was directed to the tv.

"He does?" his eyes grew wide as he turned to look between the tv and his best friend, watching as Fuji mouthed the same words that Echizen said.

"Hmmm... maybe there is and maybe there isn't."

The red-head narrowed his eyes at Fuji. "Do you have this whole video memorized?"

Fuji looked at him, his smile widening. "Maybe I do and maybe I don't."

The red-head gave the other a slight shove. "You're so weird, you know that?"

"That's why we're friends, aren't we?" the brown-haired man answered before looking back at the video being shown on the tv.

"I wonder who it is..." Eiji said propping his head up with his hands on the table.

"Saa, I wonder too," his smile grew impossibly wider.

"Maybe it's that hyper loud-mouthed girl back in Seigaku. What was her name again?" he grinned, thinking back to his junior high days, and shuddered at the thought of Echizen with such a girl. "Nah..." he quickly dismissed the thought. "Maybe it's Coach Ryuuzaki's grand daughter. She liked him for the longest time! Maybe something just clicked somewhere..." Eiji watched as his best friend stood up from his spot on the table and went to the couch, taking the remote for the DVD player and set the video the play again from the beginning.

"What do you think?" he grinned waiting to hear his friend's opinion.

"I actually don't want to think about it right now..." Fuji sat back on his chair and Eiji flinched at the sudden murderous aura that surrounded him.

"A-anyways," the red-head looked away almost immediately when Fuji turned to him, his smile eerilywide. Eiji looked anywhere but at his best friend and his eyes landed on the raven-haired man that he had adored, in a childish way, ten years prior. "I can't believe he's been gone for ten years now. I wonder when he'll be coming back..."

"It's odd for him not to tell you," the brown-haired man answered, staring intently at the tv.

The announcer had just called the start of the match. They showed each player as their names were called.

"Did he say anything to you?" Eiji asked, taking a sip of his water.

"He said he was coming this weekend. I'm not sure what time though," Fuji answered, looking back at his friend. "I don't think he wants us to meet him at the airport, but I'd still go and see him anyway," he added with a smile.

The other put on a pout. "Typical O'chibi, so unfair. Not telling anyone about this very important matter."

Fuji couldn't help but laugh. This conversation was bringing back so many precious memories, some of them he had nearly forgotten. "Maybe he didn't want to cause any commotion, like that one time when we saw him off before the Nationals started."

"When Coach Ryuuzaki's grand daughter gave him that tennis ball?"

Fuji nodded at him. "There were so many of us there standing in the middle of the place. There were so many people staring at us."

"Yeah. Anyways, I'm coming with you to see O'chibi on Saturday whether he likes it or not. You can't make me take it back either," Eiji got up as his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Fuji laughed as his best friend's face shone with delight. "Oishi, huh? He always calls at the same time. Such a loving husband you have."

Eiji cheeks immediately turned red at the statement and his eyelids began blinking rapidly in mild shock. "Wh-what are you saying?" he stammered, trying to find the right words to answer. Sure, he and Oishi had been together for quite a while – as friends, that is. Being more than that was something he could only dream of. Oishi was too naïve, despite his age, and he didn't want to ruin the relationship they currently have for more than ten years already.

"I told him that I'd meet him for lunch at the kindergarten," he pushed in the chair he was sitting on. "I'll be going now. See you tomorrow Fujiko," the red-head waved at the brown-haired man sitting at the dining table before he goes to the doorstep and put on his shoes.

Fuji laughed to himself, a little jealous at how close Oishi and Eiji were- wishing that he had someone like that, too, before following Eiji to the doorstep and waved at him good bye.

He leaned against the wall and stared at the closed door in front of him, as if in a daze.

"Ten years," he murmured to himself, not quite aware that he had actually said it out loud. He heaved out a sigh and ran a hand through his brown tresses before he pushed himself off of the wall and made his way to the dining table, taking the empty glasses to the sink and cleaning them while humming an unrecognizable tune to himself.

He situated himself on the couch after, two cushions sitting beside him. He smiled to himself, losing himself to the raven-haired man's style of play being shown in the tv – like he was there as well – a part of the audience.

"Soon," he murmured to himself again, his smile wide.

* * *

**A/N: Here's the sequel I promised you guys~ it's split into two chapters... and there's an extra too~ so please do look forward to it~ Please review~~ Thank you for reading~**

**Blackxxcat013**


	3. Chapter Two: The Day

Chapter Two: The Day

Saturday came quickly, though for Fuji, it felt like he waited for years for that day to come. He smiled in excitement as he prepared the small bag that he would bring with him to meet the younger man.

He sat on the couch for a few minutes with nothing else left to do but to wait for the arrival of his red-headed friend.

EIji had called him the night before, despite visiting him again the morning prior, saying that he'll come by at around 8 o' clock in the morning.

Echizen had not given him the details of his flight, not the name of it nor its time of arrival. Fuji frowned at the thought, not liking the possibility that the other didn't want to see him.

The door bell rang and he lost his train of thought. He smiled, ever so widely, as he headed to the door and opened it, revealing Eiji who immediately enveloped him in a big hug.

Eiji didn't waste any more time, letting go of Fuji and clasping his friend by his shoulders and told him to get his bag quickly for they were going to leave right then.

"I figured that it would be easier for us, so I brought Oishi as a driver," he added, feeling embarrassed and slightly guilty for not telling Fuji earlier.

The brown-haired man laughed, telling him that Oishi really was a convenience to have around, after he took his bag from the dining table and saw the tinge of guilt on his friend's face. His smile dropped momentarily. "What are you doing? Come on. If we want to surprise Echizen, let's go!" he dragged his friend out of the front door and to where he assumed Oishi was parked.

=== +.+ ===

The trip to the airport was pretty quiet, except for some comments from Oishi saying how surprised he was that Echizen was coming back to Japan.

Fuji sat in the back seat feeling a tad bit awkward as he watched Eiji steal glances at Oishi beside him and the latter, not knowing the meaning behind those glances, only smiled back at him.

He looked out the window, not being able to take in the scene in front of him anymore. He smirked to himself, thinking that Eiji might just need a hand.

=== O.O ===

They arrived at the airport an hour later and they situated themselves at some empty seats located at the arrival department of Narita, anticipating the raven-haired man's return.

There were at least five flights from America to Japan all throughout the day and more that they didn't look into.

Every time a flight was announced to have arrived, Fuji would look through the mass of people coming from the gates. Each time, he felt dejected for he couldn't find the one he was looking for. They waited for more than ten hours, yet Echizen still had not appeared from the gates.

The number of people present at the airport went from thousands to only a few.

It tore at Eiji's heart to watch his friend's features drop even more as more time passed by, his anxiety increasing. He had waited patiently for far too long and there was really no guarantee that the person he was waiting for would arrive, aside from a promise made ten years ago.

=== … ===

It was exactly midnight when Eiji decided that they had done enough waiting, especially Fuji, and that it was time to go home.

"He said he was going to come back today, Eiji," Fuji told him, unusual sadness evident in his voice.

"I know, but maybe something came up and he had to postpone the flight or maybe something happened and his flight got delayed," he replied, wrapping an arm around Fuji and taking him to Oishi's car.

Fuji didn't utter a single word on the ride home, despite Eiji's many attempts to make him feel better. He leaned back against the car seat and looked out the window, marveling instead at the number of stars there were. He heaved out a long sigh, letting his mind go blank and letting himself be engulfed in sleep.

=== . ===

Eiji woke him up moments later and he glanced around to see that he was home. Fuji briefly thanked Oishi and walked up the steps to his front door, the red head in tow.

"Don't worry, okay?" Eiji suddenly spoke, lifting a hand and caressing his cheek. "I'm sure he has a reason. O'chibi wouldn't go against his word and you know that. He'll probably be here tomorrow," he said, giving his head a pat on the head once before giving him a hug.

"Thank you Eiji. I'm sorry for dragging you all the way to the airport," he simply answered, looking at Eiji and laughing at the face the other was making.

"Psshh," Eiji waved his hand in front of his face and grinned. "I let myself be dragged anyway. Have a good rest okay? I'll see you tomorrow," he hugged his best friend before saying good bye and running towards Oishi's car, waving at Fuji once more before entering the automobile.

Fuji waved back at them, waiting until they were out of sight before unlocking his front door and stepping inside the house. He took off his shoes and turned the lights on before making his way to the kitchen and getting himself a glass of water from the fridge.

Slowly, he moved towards the sink, placing the now empty glass on the counter. His hands, that shook slightly, placed themselves on either side of the sink supporting his as he slowly bent over.

He took a long breath. There was an unusual tug at his chest and there was a heavy urge to cry. But he didn't cry. He refused to do so. He had waited for ten years, waiting one more day was nothing compared to that. But there was a small part in his heart that told him to rest, that told him that maybe it was time to stop waiting.

* * *

**A/N: Okay… sorry for the late update. I went to watch Harry Potter this past weekend, so I was pretty busy and couldn't even type. Anyways…. From the last chapter… I have nothing against reporters but don't you find it really annoying when they act all happy and over enthusiastic? It kind of scares me at times. Anyways… this one is shorter because I didn't want to reveal anything else too soon~ I'm evil like that~ **

**Thank you for reading. I might upload the next one soon. Please review!**

**Blackxxcat013**


	4. Chapter Three: Finally

Chapter Three: Finally

Tears began falling then, as he let his mind tell him that he had waited for too long. He brought his hands to his face and started wiping away the liquid that threatened to fall and the ones that made their way down his cheeks. He had moved himself to the couch and he laughed in between his sobs, feeling pathetic and though he told himself over and over not to, it made him cry even more.

His sobs grew louder and he didn't hear the rustle of clothes from the bottom of the stairs.

"What are you doing crying this early in the morning, huh Fuji-sempai?" he immediately stopped, not wanting to turn his head to the source of the voice. He was afraid that when he lifts his head and looks at the source, there would be no one there and that the voice he had just heard was only a figment of his imagination.

There was a shuffle from the steps and faint sounds of feet against the foor got louder and louder.

"Where were you anyway? I was waiting here since arround nine this morning," there was a dip beside him on the couch and he turned then, facing familiar hazel eyes.

"Where were you, sempai?" he asked again, eyes narrowing.

Fuji moved away, a little shocked that the younger one wasn't wearing anything on top of his pajamas and was showing his defined abs, and brought his eyes away from the intense gaze that he was receiving.

Echizen grew up to be a fine man, his face and some other features resembling that of his older brother, except better.

"First of all, Echizen, you should watch your tone of voice. I still am older than you despite you gaining some few inches over me. And second, I should ask you that question. Where were you? You said you would come back today didn't you? Besides, how did you get in my house?" Fuji answered, eyes wide open, both determined and a little terrified, and panting from saying those few lines in one breath.

Echizen looked away, bringing a hand behind his head and scratching it. "Geez.." he muttered to himself before looking at Fuji again.

" I got back last night. Well, this morning and went to my house to sleep. Nanako's kids were driving me crazy!"

"She has kids now?" Fuji asked, quite surprised.

"Yeah... Anyway, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you clearly when I was coming back," Echizen answered, voice becoming smaller at his last statement.

Fuji leaned against the couch's armrest and abd smiled, seeing that the younger boy that he knew had matured but still showed the child in him. And the brown-haired man couldn't help but wonder if he was the only one who saw this side of the younger man.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You still haven't told me how you got in my house."

Echizen looked at him then, quite relieved. And Fuji only raises an eyebrow at him.

"Well?"

"Your brother let me in," the younger man answered flatly.

"What?"

"I was waiting outside your house for an hour and you weren't back yet. I tried calling you but you wouldn't answer, so I called him over and hoped that he had a key," Echizen lookd at Fuji again, his brows meeting and creating a crease at the center. "We called you again and again but you wouldn't answer – " Fuji twitched, successfully cutting the younger man from what he was about to say.

The older man stood up abruptly, searching his bad and rummaging through its contents for his phone. He flipped the phone open, his shoulders sagging when he finds out that it was out of power and turned to look at Echizen with a nervous smile on his lips.

"Sorry about that," he laughed, sitting back on the couch beside the younger man and taking the other's hand in his and poking it. "I guess I was too excited about your return, and I wasn't expecting a call from you, so I forgot about my phone.

He playfully let go of the raven-haired man's hand, moving away slightly and grinned, immediately raising his eyebrow in mock suspicion. "I didn't know you were in contact with my brother."

"We are. I saw him at one of the Grand Slam tournaments I participated in a while back with that weird narcissistic curly-haired friend of his. And since he didn't really know anyone else there, he disturbed me at my place quite often and played some games and, I don't know. I guess we got closer," Echizen explained, his voice warming up something inside of Fuji and the older man couldn't help but be proud that his brother finally got along with the raven-haired man sitting right in front of him.

"So, Fuji-sempai," he said in a deep voice that sent shivers down Fuji's spine and he smirked, breaking Fuji's train of thought. He edged closer towards Fuji, leaning in ever so slightly and whispered into the older man's ear. "Where were you all day?"

Fuji shifted beneath him and pushed the other away, not feeling quite comfortable about the turn of events. "I was at the airport waiting to surprise you."

"Well," Echizen answered, taken aback. "That's really nice of you to do."

He got braver, then, and he reached over, brushing away strands of hair that blocked Fuji's eyes and tucked them behind his ear. A smile placed itself on his face as Fuji's cheeks turned pink.

He took a minute to takine in the sight before him. The beauty that was Fuji Syuusuke was his alone and no one else's. He sighed in satisfaction before moving in closer, his arms stretching out and making their way around the older man's body.

Fuji squeaked in surprise, eyes widening, when suddenly he was pulled forward and into the chest of THE Echizen Ryoma.

A whisper against his ear and he relaxed into the hug, bringing up his arms and hugging the other in return. His head rested on the crook of Echizen's neck.

"Thank you for waiting, Fuji-sempai," he said, shuddering little as Fuji nuzzled the crook of his neck with his nose before sitting back up and creating space between them.

"It's Syuusuka, Ryoma-kun," Fuji smirked, noticing how Echizen's brow twitched at the suffix used on him. "Welcome back, Ryoma," he continued, giving the man in front of him a smie.

He tilted his head in confusion as he watched Echizen's features turn serious, his face leaning closer and closer.

When a pair of chappy lips landed on his own, Fuji couldn't help but widen his eyes in shock. He stared at Echizen in front of him, whose eyes were closed tightly – as if thinking that if he opened his eyes right at that moment, everything would just disappear.

Echizen's lips pressed harder harder into his and Fuji couldn't help but notice the crease on the other's brows. He chuckled to himself, closing his eyes, and sighed into the kiss, relaxing and letting the younger man take control.

The raven-haired man moved slightly to an angle that, to him, seemed much better and comfortable.

Fuji let out another chuckle at this, thinking how gentle Echizen treated him. The kiss was slow and awkward but it was the sweetest thing that ever happened to him. He was so happy about it when he realized that it was the first for the both of them and he became happier because this is just how he imagine his first kiss to be. It was perfect.

Echizen broke the kiss, quite hesitantly, and quirked an eyebrow at the other. He's been doing that a lot since meeting Fuji again and he wonders ,briefly, if being with him would stress him more or relax him.

"What's so funny?"

Fuji laughs again. "I love you too, Ryoma-kun." He buries his head into Echizen's chest, his features taken over by his happiness.

'_It may have taken a while for him to come back,_' he thought, drawing imaginary circles on the raven-haired man's abdomen. "This is worth it."

Echizen drapes an arm around the other's shoulder and wondered what in the world he was talking about. He was about to ask him that, too, but he chose to remain silent instead, not wanting to break the moment. He held Fuji closer.

They were thinking of the same thing.

Everything they ever wanted is in their hands now. There's no way they're going to let go.

THE END

* * *

**A/N: Okay... This thing is finally done!~ What do you guys think? Sweet enough? Dramatic enough?**

**Thank you for reading up until now. It's amazing to have your support. It might take me a while to get another chaptered fic going but I hope you'd look into that as well.**

**This isn't really complete yet... because I've decided to make an extra... featuring Eiji and Oishi! Please look forward to that too. Thanks again guys. Please review!~**

**Blackxxcat013**


	5. Extra: Confessions

Extra: Confessions

It's been a week since Echizen had returned, a week since he moved into Fuji's house and a week since they've officially started they're relationship. All of that, though, was between the two of them.

It was quite a surprise for Eiji to see the raven-haired man open the door for him the day after his supposed arrival, for he did not really think that the other will return, shirtless and with messy tresses.

They blinked at each other for a while then, Eiji, not being able to recover quick enough from the shock, and Echizen, not expecting to meet the red head so soon after his arrival. He was expecting a disastrous welcome from the usually hyper-active red headed male, consisting of bear hugs and loud shouts and laughter. But he smirked when he saw that it wouldn't happen with him towering over Eiji by a few inches.

Fuji came out then, squeezing himself between Echizen and the doorway. His hair was much decent-looking than Echizen's but still a bit messy and his smiles were much brighter.

Eiji grew suspicious of their behaviour that morning, especially when their cheeks would turn pink every time they so much as enter each other's line of vision. And though it piqued his curiosity, he decided not to interrogate them about it for he didn't want to get any scarring information from the two.

Eiji visited them again a few times after, finding himself being in the same, slightly awkward situation from that first day.

The red head couldn't help but feel so out of place and slightly annoyed at the displays of affection, wishing that he could also be the same with the one he likes. And despite trying to leave countless times to save himself from the torture and to give the happy couple the much needed privacy, Fuji would ask him, innocently, to stay – much to Echizen's obvious dismay.

He cleared his throat for the sixteenth time that morning, hoping to get the attention of the couple who were cooking and feeding each other in the kitchen.

"Fujiko, how dare you invite me over and ignore me? Hurry up and feed me so I can go back to the shop," he said, using the best annoyed voice he could muster.

Fuji turned around with bowls of rice in each hand, his smile so innocently wide. Echizen followed behind him with a plate filled with eggs and bacon.

"Being all lovey-dovey when you know what kind of situation I'm in," he pouted, placing his arms on the table and resting his head on them.

"Well, if you'd just go and tell him, then you probably wouldn't feel so awkward like this," Fuji frowned at him, tapping Eiji's arms to make him get them off the table and sit up straight.

"It's not really that easy telling one of your closest friends for more than ten years that you like them without feeling like you'll be rejected!" Eiji answered, throwing his hands to the side.

Echizen looked at him, quite confused. "I thought you guys were already together before I left," the raven haired man said, looking at Eiji before putting a piece of bacon in his mouth.

Eiji looked at his favourite underclassman. Shock and disbelief masked his features. He opened his mouth, intending to speak, but couldn't find the right words to use.

"It's obvious who you like Eiji-sempai," the aforementioned red head nearly choked on his food. "I mean, who else do you cling to and disturb twenty four – seven? I wouldn't be surprised if he knew already."

Eiji twitched, taken back by the statement. "Oishi doesn't say anything, though," he lowered his chopsticks and his bowl of rice on the table.

"Then he might be content with the way things are," Fuji nudged him on the ribs and the youngest of them all glared at the older man. "Or maybe, he's as clueless as you say."

"Just eat, Ryoma," Fuji said, a dangerous edge to his voice and Echizen grumbled but did as he was told.

"I'm sure he'll accept you, Eiji," Echizen mumbled something unintelligible = and Fuji nudged his ribs again. "He likes you too, you know. I mean, we've know him for more than ten years now and he hasn't been with a girl once."

"You can't take him away from his job though. And I've been taking up all the spare time he gets," Eiji answered, still staring at his food.

"And? Is he complaining?" Fuji urged him to answer, all too happy by the role he's playing. Or the role that he thinks he's playing.

Eiji looked at Fuji, whose smile became wider and whose mood was eerily happy, and sighed in defeat. "Fine. But what do I do?"

"Confess," Echizen interrupted, standing up with his rice bowl and chopsticks in hand. Fuji could only let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ignore him," Fuji said after shaking his head and to which the younger man answered," I'm going upstairs to sleep."

Fuji rolled his eyes and shook his head once more. He placed his arms down on the table, pushing aside the dishes in front of him. His smile was eerily wide and it made Eiji wonder why they were friends in the first place.

Fuji leaned in. 'Well, why don't' you try this?"

=== XD ===

Eiji snuck into the kindergarten once the students started to pile out to wait for their parents followed by two or three teachers.

The red head had hoped that no one but the kids would notice him only to stop in his tracks on the way to a specific classroom when a familiar voice called him.

"Eiji! You're here early," Oishi said, walking closer to him. "I have to wait until all the kids are gone. Wait for me in the classroom okay?"

Eiji only nodded in reply, watching the other wave at him once and walk towards the door. He proceeded to walk to the specified classroom, K-1, passing by other teachers that he knew from coming over too many times.

He peaked into the room, checking if there were any more people and there weren't any, save for a few kids hurriedly packing up their stuff and another teacher leading them where to go.

Eiji waved at the kids, making his way to a desk – which he knew was Oishi's – at the front right corner of the room. He proceeded to open the first drawer to the right of the desk, finding the colourful chalk that he needed.

He took out three pieces of chalk –red, yellow and orange- and started drawing on the black board, drawing flowers and hearts at one corner and then moving upwards to the top corner. His hand slipped, trying to reach the very top of the board, and smudged the design.

Eiji frowned, placing the pieces of chalk on the desk messily, and grabbed the eraser. He started erasing the corner viciously, as if wanting even the board to disappear, when there was a 'click' from the doorway and a very audible gasp.

The red head slowly turned around and faced Oishi, whose eyes were wide in shock and his hand still on the doorknob.

Oishi let the door close behind him and started walking towards the board. "Who did this?"

Unconsciously, Eiji started shaking his head.

"The board has to be clean before we leave. It's such a waste to erase. It's a pretty design," Oishi grabbed another eraser and started erasing at the bottom corner of the board.

Once they were done, Oishi put the three pieces of coloured chalk back into their box while Eiji went to tidy the chairs, the few that were a little out of place, and stood by the door to wait.

He watched Oishi prepare, taking necessary bits of paperwork and placing it in his bag and at the same time checking if he had everything that he needed. Eiji couldn't help but chuckle when Oishi slung his back pack over his shoulder only to have his things fall out because the zipper wasn't closed, to which Oishi also answered with his own laughter.

Once Oishi turned to pick up his things again, the black-haired man insisted that he could take care of it by himself. Eiji was left again to his musings. He frowned, finding his first attempt in confessing to be a failure didn't do well to his confidence.

He ran through a list in his head, recalling some of Fuji's 'sweeter' suggestions. Most of them were extreme – consisting of stripping pieces of clothing, leather, ropes and threat letters – and it unnerved him, not to mention scare him.

Oishi jogged towards him, smiling and breaking his trance. "Thanks for waiting," Oishi said, continuing to ask what the red head wanted for dinner.

Eiji only shrugged his shoulders. On the way out, his eyes drifted into the classroom once more before they left, spotting small bits of yellow paper stuck on a small board beside the door.

'Love letters are getting old. How 'bout confessing via sticky notes?' he heard Fuji say in his head and smiled inwardly. '_Maybe asking Fuji for advice was a good idea after all.'_

=== H.H ===

They arrived at their shared apartment – shared because they initially thought that it would be convenient and then felt comfortable enough and had no more time to look for one for each of them. '_It's cheaper this way,'_ they both thought.

Oishi went straight to the couch in their living room after dropping his bag in his room.

Their apartment was small or big enough for the two of them. The small living room, enough size for a small couch, a small TV set and a bookshelf on the side, connected to the dining room and kitchen. The doors to the two bedrooms were located at the far end of the living room and a door to the bathroom in between. And though Eiji was doing great managing his small pet shop business, he wouldn't exchange this home for anything else.

Eiji came out of his room, skipping along the way, and stopped by the kitchen to get a glass of water before sitting on the couch beside Oishi.

Oishi moved, finding a much more comfortable position, and stretched, placing his arm around Eiji's shoulders and resting it on the couch. After flipping through various channels, he stopped, settling for a variety show and placing the remote beside him, before sinking further into the couch.

"Can I have some of that? My throat's kind of itchy," Oishi suddenly said, eyeing the red head's glass of water.

"No!" Eiji inched away from the other playfully. "Get your own!" He moved to the far end of the couch with his back against the couch's arm and held the glass far away from the older man. But Oishi moved, placing his hand beside Eiji's leg and reached over, looming over the red head.

Their faces were so close that he could feel Oishi's breathe on his face, that he was certain that Oishi could hear the hammering of his heart against his ribcage. And when the other looked into his eyes, he almost dropped the glass onto the carpeted floor.

"Got it," Oishi said, plucking the glass from the red head's fingers and sat back up, looking back at the TV and taking a sip of the water like it was him who took it from the kitchen.

Eiji brought his knees to his chest, trying to maybe feel if his cheeks were turning red and trying to cover them as well. Oishi raised an eyebrow at him, bringing the now empty glass away from his lips and giving him an innocent smile.

The red head looked away, hands still on his cheeks, before sitting up abruptly and shocking the other man.

"Do you know where the sticky notes are?"

"Yeah, it's somewhere by the TV," Oishi answered, placing the glass on a side table by the couch and blinking at his friend. He watched, confused, as Eiji threw himself at the TV in search of the sticky notes and bolted to his room once he had found them.

The older man sat dumbfounded, debating with himself whether he should follow the red head now or if he should wait before doing so. He decided against the whole idea.

=== {0}-{0} ===

Eiji came out again before dinner, helping set the dining table and helping with cleaning the dishes once it was over.

"I'll take care of the rest," Oishi said once the dishes were dried. All he had to do was to put them back in their respective cabinets and cupboards.

The red head nodded in response. He walked to his room, grabbing the sticky notes from his desk, and went back out, pausing in front of door opposite his.

He took stealthy glances towards the kitchen while sticking the notes on the door, hoping that Oishi wouldn't catch him in action. He wasn't ready yet.

"Hey," came the voice from beside him. Oh, how he dreaded this moment. Eiji turned towards Oishi but refused to meet his eye. "What are you doing?"

Oishi walked closer towards him and he unconsciously stepped aside, allowing the black haired man more access to his supposed confession.

The older man took a sticky note from the door and read the contents out loud. "I less than three you," he paused and looked at Eiji, whose heart was beating faster and harder against his chest, before scrunching his nose. "You know math isn't my specialty. And even if it was, I'd probably would have forgotten about all of it anyway," he stuck the note on Eiji's forehead and gave it a slight flick. "I'm going to take a shower now so, I'll see you later," the door was closed in front of his face and Eiji's eyes were left wide open, his mouth hanging from disbelief.

_Oishi wasn't that dense before, was he?_

=== [0.o] ===

Eiji woke up earlier the next day, hurrying to the closest 24 hour convenience store and bought a pack of balloons and asking the cashier to put air in all twenty-five pieces in the pack.

He went straight to the kindergarten, happy to find children starting to pile into the small school. He kept glancing at the clock, hurriedly passing out balloons to the kids and telling them to give it to their black haired male teacher once he had arrived. He pleaded the other teachers to keep it a secret that he brought in the balloons or that he was even there. Though when asked for a reason, the red head only replied that it was a celebration and for what he did not say before hurrying to the back door to hide momentarily, knowing that Oishi would arrive soon.

Instead of going back inside, Eiji went to the side of the building, intending to watch from the window – even though there's a higher chance to be seen than to go back inside and look through the small window on the door– to have a better view. It was supposed to be a surprise after all.

The red head peaked in, finding all the kids clapping at his friend, who now has all twenty-five balloons in his hand and a smile on his face.

_His brows are a bit higher than normal_, Eiji thought and shrugged it off. _Maybe he really is shocked_, he added, cheering in his mind for a job well done.

A female teacher, also assigned to the class, approached Oishi. A smile graced her features and her hands clasped together in front of her chest, her shoulder length, straight black hair swaying as she moved. She stood by Oishi, doing nothing but watching as the kids suddenly sang 'Happy Birthday' to her fellow teacher.

Suddenly moved by emotion, one of the kids ran up to Oishi and stretched his arms to ask for a hug.

Oishi smiled, handing the balloons to the other teacher and picking the small boy up, holding him in his arms.

Eiji gasped from his spot by the window and his heart sank as Oishi sent smiles to his colleague and to the boy in his arms. He started walking away blankly. The image was burned in his mind.

Oishi had looked so happy, like he had gotten everything he wanted and Eiji couldn't help but wonder seriously for the first time if he had been getting in the way of his friend's real happiness. But a part of him, albeit a really tiny bit, told him that it didn't matter what Oishi really wanted and that his happiness was first priority. He quickly pushed that thought away and went to his pet shop.

=== (TT^TT) ===

Oishi fetched Eiji from his shop, something he had always done. Once he entered the shop, a chime sounded and he chuckled, finding Eiji staring blankly at nothing in particular while sitting behind the counter, not noticing his presence.

The animals greeted the back haired man warmly and it was then that Eiji came out of his daze, nearly falling off of the stool that he was sitting on.

He gave the younger man a smile when the other came grinning in front of him after saying good bye to the animals there. Oishi couldn't help but pat the other's head, confused when he thought he saw Eiji frown for a bit.

He led Eiji to his car without a word. He turned the key and started the engine, swerving into the road after making sure that Eiji was buckled up and hoped that the red head wouldn't sense that they weren't exactly going in the direction of their home. And the other didn't or, if he did, then he didn't let it show and he didn't say anything.

When they had arrived, however, EIji's eyes widened and stared at him in shock. Oishi chuckled at the sight.

He got out of the car and went over to Eiji's side, opening the door for the other man and offering a hand to help him out of the car. They walked out of the parking lot together, hand in hand, and Eiji wished he could just dig a hole in the ground and hide there or maybe for that moment to last forever.

The red headed man couldn't believe it. It had been so long since he had been there with Oishi, both were either so tired from work or they just didn't feel like going out.

"Find a table. I'll go order," Oishi said, turning Eiji to where he saw an empty table by the window and pushed him further into the restaurant in that direction.

Eiji sat down, staring at the seemingly long line by the cashier, waiting for Oishi like he was told to and smiled – quite grateful for the surprise.

The black haired man came back with a tray, filled with a pair of cheeseburgers, medium sized fries and medium sized cups of Pepsi.

"You're okay with these, right?" Oishi asked as he sat himself down, not really needing an answer. "These were what you usually got."

Eiji giggled, taking a fry into his mouth. "Why the sudden urge to eat out?"

"Well, we haven't eaten out together for a while. Besides, fast food is okay once in a while too," Oishi answered before leaning into the table. "I'm just too lazy to cook today."

The rest of the dinner was quiet, except for occasional talks about how their day at work went and reminiscing about the past.

They went home right after and everything went silent again.

Eiji proceeded to washing their lunch containers, not quite smiling but content with the surprise dinner. Once he started the lunch containers, Oishi decided to enter the kitchen.

The black haired man moved to get a glass of milk from the fridge. He eyed Eiji in the corner of his eyes, sipped from the glass, and wondered if he should ask.

He placed the glass on the counter top behind him and moved closer to the red head.

"Is there something bothering you?" he asked, leaning over to see Eiji's face.

The red head stiffened at the question and he had to look away.

"Do you want to talk about it?" the other added.

Eiji sighed, placing down the lunch container that he was drying and the towel that he was using to dry it. He debated within himself he should face Oishi while talking, or even tell him about what had been bothering him for more than ten years. He faced Oishi in the end, mustering up all the strength that he had to keep himself from breaking down.

"I'm thinking of moving to an apartment of my own."

Oishi's eyes widened, surprised. "Wh- Why all of a sudden?" his voice sounded confused, laced with a tiny bit of hurt. Eiji wouldn't let this get his hopes up.

"I don't know. I just feel like we could both use some more space. I could expand my pet shop business a little bit more and then you could finally go date someone without me in the way and bring the girl home," he answered, staring at nothing but the sink.

"Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean go date someone?"

An awkward silence filled the room, something that had not happened in a long time, as they looked at each other in confusion.

"W-well," Eiji started. "Don't you want to date girls? Get married? Start a family?"

"Date girls? You mean we aren't dating?"

Eiji's eyes widened and he looked around him, as if there would be other people listening into the conversation, before shaking his head from side to side.

Oishi sighed, shoulders noticeably drooping, and leaned on the counter top. "Then what have been doing for the last ten years?"

Eiji didn't dare answer.

"Aren't we dating already?" Oishi asked, little harsher than intended.

The red head looked away again; hurt and fear mixed with his own confusion starting to show on his features, and a pang of guilt hit Oishi immediately.

"I'm sorry," he straightened up, bringing up his hands to place them on Eiji's arms but ended up scratching his head with his right and supporting himself against the counter with his left.

"It's just that... we didn't really... no one actually... I mean..." another sigh. "I'm sorry. I guess I just misunderstood everything."

Eiji tilted his head to the side.

"That time, being number one together, being partners forever... I guess it all went to my brain. I was basking in my own happiness," it was his turn to look away. "You know what, it's fine. It's just ten yea – "

He tried to get things back to normal before Eiji would start to hate him even more when a pair of soft plump lips crashed against his, awkwardly moulding the two pairs together because of lack of experience. And when he had just recovered his strength and sanity to kiss back, Eiji pulled back with a sly grin on his face, his hands slowly letting go of their grip on the other's collar.

"You should've done something about it," he turned and walked away, hurrying towards his room to prevent himself from hyperventilating in front his black haired friend or maybe lover.

_Finally_, the both thought once they were both under their respective covers, releasing a huge sigh of relief and tried to go to sleep in the midst of embarrassing thoughts and broken fits of giggles that they tried to conceal under their covers.

=== PoP ===

The next morning, Eiji was delighted to find a yellow note stuck to his door.

'I less than three you two,' was written on its surface, fully in words, and he couldn't help but smile only to smile even wider when he found Oishi turn around the corner to surprise him only to be surprised himself and nearly pouring the mugs of hot chocolate that he was holding over the both of them.

_Yep. Everything is perfect._

THE END

**A/N: Okay~ There's the extra. How'd you like it? Was it what you expected? I know there are people who didn't expect the sequel to be as it is... I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing... but I'm still glad that you had the time to read it.. and I'm very grateful that you still liked it though it wasn't what you thought it would be. **

** I am currently working on the draft of a new chaptered fic. It's called 'Three Inches Shorter' for now... and I posted a teeny bit of info (one or two lines) about it on my profile as well as other one shots that I might be doing. So until I've finished the draft for that... I'll be typing up one shots for you guys. Though right now... my one shot muse has temporarily left me and I have no inspiration whatsoever to write one. I'll just have to listen to music. I already have some drafts done so I'll be uploading those first.**

** Thank you once again for reading. I hope you liked it~~**

**Blackxxcat013**


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